Vocabulary is an extremely important factor in the IELTS speaking module and a large part of this is Range of Vocabulary. This means that you have enough words to speak about different topics accurately and that you do not repeat the same words all the time. However, the vocabulary you need for the exam is not just topic vocabulary but also functional vocabulary: words and phrases for explaining, giving examples and giving opinions etc.This video post looks at some useful language for opinions.
Opinion language – when do you need it?
The short answer to that question is: all the time. At each stage of the speaking module you will be required to give your opinion. This will be the case even when the examiner does not ask a question beginning “What do you think about…..?”. For example, in part 2 you may be asked to talk about your favourite teacher; in this case, you will almost certainly want to give a personal opinion about the teacher and say “I think she was special because…”
There’s a problem here though. The problem is the word “think”. If you use all the time, you are not showing range of vocabulary. You need some variation. What are your choices?
Video – some variations of I think
Take a look at this video. In it I show some basic variations of “I think” for
- personal opinions
- strong opinions
- weak opinions
- using adverbs
You should note that if you can train yourself to use some of these variations, it will not just improve your Range of Vocabulary, it will also improve your communication skills: “I am sure” is not the same as “I guess”. If you can learn to say both phrases, you are learning to say two different things.
Non Youtube Version
Here is a Chinese friendly/non-Youtube version of the video on Youku
Download
If you wish, you can download a version of this opinion language here:
IELTS Speaking – Opinion Vocabulary
Practice
Having the words and phrases is good but how can you learn to use them? In my regular classes, I do something very simple: I tell my students that they are not allowed to think. The word “think” is banned and they have to use other words instead: it works very well.
If you are working alone, you can try something similar.
- Go to Words in the News, RSS Feeds or Google News Timeline
- Read a story that looks interesting to you
- Then say what you think about it
- The one rule is you can’t use the word think
It may take a little time, but not too much normally. If you do practise enough like this, you will find that these opinion words come naturally to you without “thinking”. Try it.
So, writing is easy and nice. Thank you very much.
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